When I boarded a cruise ship at Long Beach Pier earlier this year for a 19-day solo trip through the Panama Canal, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’d traveled on other cruise lines before and had recently toured one of Seabourn’s other ships. So when the brand invited me to experience Seabourn Encore—with its all-suite accomodations and quietly opulent dining rooms—I knew it would be a whole other level. But nearly three weeks at sea, three meals a day, every day, dining with strangers or alone…Would I forget how to talk to people? Would I dress up for dinner every night? 

At home, my eating routine is unpredictable at best—hurried breakfasts (or more likely, just a latte), bird-like lunches, and hangry takeout orders punctuated by the occasional dinner party or restaurant blowout. The idea of sitting down for three civilized meals a day—all by myself—was hard to fathom. 

After checking into my room—unpacking three weeks’ worth of luggage into a walk-in closet, I turned on the mandatory ship safety video and poured myself a glass of the chilled Montaudon champagne waiting for me. Alicia, one of my suite hosts, popped in to say hello with a smoked salmon canapé on brioche and a rundown of the laundry and housekeeping routine. Yes, I could get used to this. 

Starting to feel more at home (and peckish), I brought my laptop out to the pool deck, connected to the ship’s Starlink internet, and ordered grilled red snapper and a salad. A few minutes into editing a story for our next issue, the ship’s bar manager Alfredo appeared with a tray of the cocktail of the day: a citrusy, spritzy concoction of Aperol and vodka. Don’t mind if I do. 

I closed my laptop and took a bite of fish: carefully seasoned, crispy skin, off to a strong start. On the deck above, a stylish couple around my parents’ age caught my eye. The woman, dressed in an oversized tan blazer and dark jeans like me, smiled and waved. When I waved back, she walked down the stairs to say hello. “Kat?? I’m Sandy Fenton.”

A friend had mentioned that her mom Sandra, a longtime travel writer and host of the podcast Let’s Talk Travel would also be on this voyage. 20 minutes into my first solo meal, here she was, warmly inviting me to join her and her husband, Stew, for lunch or dinner, “any time!”

Morning Rituals

While an opulent buffet is served each day starting at 6:30 A.M. in the ship’s Colonnade, I opted out of social breakfasts and took morning meals in my suite. I knew I would be crossing time zones and needed to stay tethered to my team back in New York. Ticking my breakfast order off a door hanger before bed each night helped me stay anchored to their schedule. 

Each morning, I scrambled out of bed to let in a smiling, astoundingly nimble room service attendant who would unfurl a crisp white tablecloth over my glass dining table as the sun eased up to the horizon. I’d perch on the sofa, blurry eyed and in my jammies, watching them set polished silver and goblets of juice and ice water. 

Onboard roastery aside, I found myself oddly homesick for my at-home coffee routine—a daily dance of grinding espresso, warming milk, and feeding the two insistent cats at the center of my universe. So after the first day, I pivoted to tea, alternating through the galley’s pretty packets of sencha, Moroccan mint, Darjeeling, and English breakfast in an effort to create a new, slightly less jittery, little rhythm. 

I’m not much of an egg girl these days, and while I sampled a few of the fancier options along the way—delicate Swedish pancakes, lox on a crisp bagel, and soothing steel-cut oats swirled with honey and cream—most mornings, I kept things simple. Whole wheat toast with butter and Marmite. Plain yogurt. Fresh fruit: grapefruit, berries, or most often pineapple, unwaveringly sweet and perfectly ripe. In Puerto Vallarta, our first port stop, I stopped into the supermarket to buy a few local hot sauces to bring home. Midway through the trip, I ditched the souvenir plan and started sprinkling them over my morning fruit for a spicy-salty pick-me-up. This became part of the ritual. 

I quickly came to relish the quiet formality of these early solo meals. My roomy, wood-paneled suite—larger than my first three New York City apartments—opened onto a wide balcony where I’d finish my tea and scroll through my inbox as the ship glided through the Pacific.

Midday Moments, Afloat and Ashore

Even on a fully “working holiday”—Seabourn’s Starlink connection is almost annoyingly reliable—most afternoons onboard were far more serene than my ordinary at-home scramble. Our Panama Canal itinerary included plenty of at-sea days, leaving me ample time to lunch onboard. I went back more than once for my day-one poolside special—grilled catch of the day—and a crisp glass of white. Other times, I ordered shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, or a rare New York strip au poivre to enjoy in the quiet of my suite between calls. On days when I had more time, I slid into the jewelbox of a sushi restaurant on Deck 8, ordered gyoza, a miso salmon bento, or a plate of crab maki and an icy scoop of yuzu sorbet or a refreshing green tea and sake cocktail. 

In Huatulco, Mexico, I wandered into town on a Wednesday between video calls and had ceviche on the beach with my feet in the sand, watching local families splash in the surf. After lunch, I picked up some colorful Oaxacan textiles in the mercado, and waved at a few familiar crew members also enjoying a few hours of free time on land.

In Puerto Vallarta, I signed on for a catamaran excursion to Yelapa, crossing the Bahía de Banderas in the morning light while the crew passed around café de olla, pastries, and fresh fruit. When we docked in the sleepy fishing town, I sipped an enormous michelada beside the town’s trickling waterfall and met Thim and Trevor, fellow Seabourn travelers from Southern California staying on for an even longer voyage—all the way to Lisbon. We bonded over seafood recommendations and by sunset, Thim and I were moseying down Puerto Vallarta’s sculpture-lined Malecon and pulling apart garlicky grilled lobster, the cathedral’s belltower chiming overhead in celebration of Palm Sunday.

Dinners at Sea

On Seabourn, it’s common to receive printed invitations to dine with others on board. Senior crew members, entertainers, and other passengers are keen on preserving this retro ritual, using it both to make new friends and to reconnect with old ones.

One morning early in the trip, I participated in a little midday “Seabourn Conversation” in the Grand Salon, hosted by Chris Harley, the ship’s cruise director. After we chatted through a few of my “food editor-approved” travel tips and I shared some SAVEUR updates, several guests—mostly longtime SAVEUR readers and adventurous food lovers—came up to say hello. An effervescent grande dame in sparkly eyeglasses and a blonde pixie cut rolled up on a motorized scooter to introduce herself with a gentle Bronx accent. “I’m Annalee,” she told me. “I’m retired now, and I live in Palm Beach, but I worked in the restaurant business in New York. Thank you so much for bringing this magazine back.” 

A friendly couple from Texas, Paul and Barb, couldn’t wait to tell me about their favorite unsung barbecue spot. Marcel, a widower from Basel, Switzerland, traveling solo for the first time in years, asked if I’ve yet made it to his hometown to eat at chef Peter Knogl’s 3-Michelin starred Cheval Blanc—I haven’t, but promised Marcel I would look him up when I finally do. 

A few nights later, I was seated next to Marcel at a solo traveler dinner. He told me about the early days of his hometown’s now splashy art fair, his beloved late wife, and their many happy years of cruise travel. His relaxed warmth gave way to Swiss precision when it came time to order wine. After a bit of back and forth, the somm presented us with a Bordeaux, earning a satisfied nod from my new friend.

Back in my suite, there was an invitation to join Paul and Barb for dinner at Solis, Seabourn’s ultra-luxe Mediterranean restaurant; a few days later, the head of guest services rang to ask if I’d like to join Annalee for dinner in the ship’s main dining room. My dance card has never been livelier.

From Pool Deck to Panama

Midway through my journey, I had certainly settled into a rhythm. I kept up with my early morning wakeup calls; I borrowed a mat from the gym and started closing out each workday with some solo yoga on my balcony—except on the days when I skipped out on fitness in favor of a scoop of amaretto gelato. And I was making friends more quickly than I have in years. 

I spent a rare drizzly day in and out of the hot tub in the Retreat, the ship’s reservations-only spa deck. Tucked into a private cabana, Sandy, Stew, and I sipped green juice cocktails and shared steak sandwiches, burrata salad, and fries. And the night before our canal passage, I was officially welcomed into the cool kids’ club: I returned to my room to find an invite to a private afternoon cocktail and caviar party in Annalee’s forward-facing room—an Owner’s Suite that afforded sweeping views of our passage.

As we made our way through the canal’s massive locks, I chatted with a group of friends our host had gathered up along her own solo trip. I met two more New Yorkers there (a young personal injury lawyer traveling with his sassy mom), and a pair of no-nonsense New Englanders—an IT professional from Kenya and a private-label root beer manufacturer from New Hampshire, two lovebirds who’d met years ago on a Jamaican scuba diving trip, each on their own solo vacation.

As I was leaving, Annalee sent me off with a honeysweet ataulfo mango and a jar of pink peppercorn honey—treasured gifts from her shore excursion from Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

I dined again that night in Solis—this time with Sandy and Stew, by then my shipboard mom and dad. We shared a watermelon salad, white bean cassoulet with grilled baby artichokes, a bubbling pot of bouillabaisse, and the showstopping Cocotte Lutée Grand-Mère, chef Franck Solis’ ode to his grandmother’s tarragon chicken, baked until silky and tender under a flaky, golden pastry lid.

Cartagena and Beyond

Annalee and I had bonded over a shared, New Yorkery sense of adventure and early on agreed we’d explore Cartagena (the second-to-last stop of our trip) together. I had come prepared for this particular port, having reached out to food stylist and SAVEUR contributor Mariana Velásquez, who splits her time between New York and Colombia. Mariana has impeccable taste, so I knew her list of neighborhood cafés, ice cream shops, restaurants, and boutiques would be priceless. 

Seabourn’s excursion coordinator arranged for a private transfer to take us on a scenic tour past the vast Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and into Cartagena’s vibrant El Centro. Along the way, our driver pointed out the home of the late Gabriel García Márquez and the grand old walls of the Charleston Santa Teresa hotel before dropping us at our first stop: Nia, a chic bakery-café recommended by Mariana. Annalee ordered brioche with passion fruit jam and butter; I opted for a croissant stuffed with guava paste and salty costeño cheese. We sipped our coffee and soaked in the local vibe, snapped photos of the pastry and gelato cases, and then wandered the flower-lined Old Town streets, popping into Mariana’s favorite clothing and design shops along the way.

Eventually, Annalee spotted a black-and-white straw hat on a street vendor’s cart and asked our driver to help her coordinate a purchase. She struck a pose, pulling the wide brim down over one eye, and asked me to take a photo to send to her son and granddaughter. As the tropical afternoon heat began to beat down, she also bought us a pair of cold, young coconuts from another vendor and we loaded back into our blissfully air-conditioned van.

The night before we arrived in Miami, back on the pool deck, Annalee and I tapped our toes to one last night of live music, caught up with some of our onboard pals, and promised to stay in touch. Sunburned and sleepy, I skipped the formal dinner, wrapped myself in a robe, and ordered caviar service to my room—an off-menu, IYKYK tip from Sandy—as the sun sank beyond my balcony. Later, I wandered back out to the pool deck, transformed for the evening into Earth & Ocean, the ship’s most intimate and low-key restaurant. I crunched away at a Belgian endive salad studded with blue cheese, walnuts, and apples, then tucked into a soothing bowl of strozzapreti with spicy sausage and smoked tomato. In 19 days at sea, it was one of the only dinners I spent alone. I didn’t mind at all. 

To mark this voyage’s end, SAVEUR’s editor-in-chief Kat Craddock hosted an afternoon of cocktails and conversation aboard Seabourn Encore in Miami, this voyage’s final port of call. Read the event recap here.

The post Dining Solo at Sea: Here’s What I Ate on a 19-Day Luxury Cruise appeared first on Saveur.

Miami’s dining scene never skips a beat with its ever-expanding selection of restaurants influenced by cuisines from around the globe. Here you can dine on late-night sushi to the sound of world-renowned DJs, taste the flavors of the French Riviera, or dine above the city skyline in a nature sanctuary. There’s something for every palate, particularly during Miami Spice Months, when area restaurants open their doors for diners to enjoy special prix fixe menus at brunch and lunch ($30/$35) and dinner ($45/$60). Here are some of our favorite spots to #eattheworld while experiencing the many flavors of Miami.

Bâoli

In true Miami fashion, Bâoli is known for both stunning fresh fish and late-night parties. Start off light with gorgeous plates of crudo, maki, and crispy rice with tuna, then tuck into globally inflected dishes like whole-roasted branzino, edamame hummus, tom yum-glazed octopus, and ribeye with wasabi chimichurri. Cocktails incorporate flavors like yuzu, basil, black walnut, and lemongrass—perfect for sipping from happy hour to late-late night.

Brasserie Laurel

From the team whose Michelin-starred restaurant Ariete has captivated Miami’s dining scene, Brasserie Laurel offers French-inspired Miami cuisine in an upscale setting. Classic French preparations take on new life, like squid bourguignon served with duchess potatoes and preserved lemon gremolata or caviar-topped venison tartare. Laurel’s tranquil, brasserie-style setting is the perfect place for brunch or dinner followed by absinthe service and a Black Forest eclair. 

Joliet Miami

Experience the Cajun flavors of the Gulf on the Atlantic at Joliet, where seafood of all kinds is on full display. Seafood towers brimming with oysters, shrimp, crab, and local fish crudo are a must, as is the rich, buttery New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp. Choose between lush patio seating beneath twinkling lights, or grab a table in the airy dining room and soak in all of the breezy, beachy vibes South Florida has to offer. 

Giselle Miami 

High above the bustle of downtown Miami, Giselle is an eclectic mix of cuisines and experiences, starting with a ride to the top in a private elevator. After that, it’s full steam ahead, whether dining on flaming lobster thermidor or Japanese A5 wagyu. The restaurant spans the rooftop with seating indoors and out, and a retractable roof that gives diners a view of the night sky. Cocktails complete the otherworldly experience, like the Head Over Heels, a combination of vodka and sparkling rosé that serves three people and comes in an enormous glass high-heeled shoe. 

LPM

Coastal vibes straight from the French Riviera are on offer in downtown Miami, where LPM—formerly La Petite Maison—is serving light, Mediterranean-influenced fare. Salad Nicoise, ratatouille with feta, and whole sea bream baked with Provencal herbs evoke the sun-drenched flavors of Southern France, accompanied by an extensive list of rosés from some of the region’s best producers. And for fans of La Belle Epoque, it’s paradise draped in linen and surrounded by marble, with bossa nova tunes playing softly in the background.

MILA

Fusing the flavors of Japan with the Mediterranean is the central theme of MILA, where chef Michaël Michaelidis’ menu is served izakaya-style. Plates like a whole grilled Dover sole with yuzu kosho butter or wagyu carpaccio with salted seaweed and onion jam are meant to be shared at tables overlooking the city. Designed with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi in mind, MILA’s lush foliage and natural wood interior makes for an experience that’s at once serene and filled with Miami energy. 

Sérêvène

Head to Miami Beach for Sérêvène’s contemporary flavors and classic art deco setting. The menu includes French favorites infused with the conviviality of izakaya fare—think ora king salmon with sesame noodles and a soy beurre noisette, or half a suckling pig served tableside with Hawaiian soft rolls.

Rum Room

The melting pot of cultures in Miami is on display at the Rum Room, a Miami Beach newcomer drawing locals and tourists alike. It’s in a century-old historic building on a canal, offering all of the classic charm of Miami Beach, but away from the crowds. As the name implies, there is a hefty selection of rums and rum cocktails to enjoy alongside a menu of Latin-influenced favorites. Start with croquetas, maduro bread, empanadas, and jerk chicken pressed sandwiches, then follow it up with an order of upside-down pineapple rum cake for the full experience. 

Sexy Fish

Miami’s outpost of London’s famously over-the-top celeb hangout is just as stunning as the original, notable both for its aquatic interior and its menu of luxurious Asian-influenced seafood dishes. During Miami Spice Months, diners will choose from dishes like grilled lobster with sancho butter, matcha waffles and crispy chicken, stone crab bao buns and grilled seabass with green nam, served in a setting that evokes the opulence of King Neptune’s castle. 

Smith & Webster

What happens when a Miami food blogger and a retired NFL player open a restaurant? In the case of Smith & Webster, the result is a Miami-Dade hotspot highlighting African American cuisine and sharing the classics that represent the owners’ backgrounds. Snow crab legs drenched in citrus garlic butter, braised oxtail lasagna, and fried chicken with mac and cheese, greens, and a biscuit are all on the menu for dinner, while brunch delivers grits topped with fried lobster tail or crispy lemon catfish.

Bagatelle

The kindred spirits of South Florida and the Côte d’Azur meet at Bagatelle, located within the luxurious confines of the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Seafood and caviar by the ounce are staples of this menu, which features opulent dishes like Mediterranean sea bass with fennel and Florida citrus as well as truffle-topped puffed piccia bread. Bagatelle’s chic dining room and richly appointed bar are prime people watching spots, while the restaurant’s extensive wine list is stocked with many of the finest French producers.

The post Dine Your Way Through Greater Miami and Miami Beach appeared first on Saveur.

The hot toddy is a classic winter cocktail best enjoyed among friends on a cold winter night by the fire. For this version, which features The Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky, seek out a delicately flavored wildflower, clover, or acacia honey, all of which will complement the spirit’s spicy butterscotch notes.

The Famous Grouse is available to purchase from Caskers, Drizly, Reserve Bar, and select retailers nationwide.

The post The Famous Hot Toddy appeared first on Saveur.

Irish coffee as we know it is believed to have been popularized in the 1950s at San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café. This updated version features The Famous Grouse for a Scottish take on the Irish American classic. To prevent the cream from sinking to the bottom of the drink, we suggest whipping it by hand with a spoonful of powdered sugar to stabilize and lighten it.

The Famous Grouse is available to purchase from Caskers, Drizly, Reserve Bar, and select retailers nationwide.

The post The Famous Coffee appeared first on Saveur.

A lightened-up riff on the Penicillin cocktail, this refreshing drink’s name is reportedly a nod to Eldridge Street, the former location of New York City’s now-shuttered Milk & Honey bar. Ginger ale is a classic highball topper; here, it complements The Famous Grouse’s signature, spicy, butterscotch notes. We recommend Fever Tree brand, which is gently sweetened and extra gingery.

The Famous Grouse is available to purchase from Caskers, Drizly, Reserve Bar, and select retailers nationwide.

The post The Famous Eldridge Highball appeared first on Saveur.

The classic Penicillin cocktail is a “split-base” whisky drink originally created by New York City bartender Sam Ross in 2005. This version of the iconic drink features two expressions from The Famous Grouse: the smooth and elegant classic style and the brand’s bold Smoky Black bottling. While typically served chilled, we also love a warming winter riff of The Famous Penicillin. Find the alternative method below.

The Famous Grouse is available to purchase from Caskers, Drizly, Reserve Bar, and select retailers nationwide.

The post The Famous Penicillin appeared first on Saveur.

If only shopping for fish at the supermarket were as easy as choosing the freshest-looking filet. Rather, consumers have a dizzying array of options—wild or farmed, local or imported, all plastered with labels ranging from “environmentally friendly” to “sustainably produced”—making it difficult to know exactly what one should select. With a huge pool of commercial species (approximately 2,500 by some estimates) on the market, it’s no wonder most shoppers primarily make their selection based on price and appearance.

Part of the confusion stems from the complicated nature of the industry itself. “Fish are among the last true remaining wild hunt, and fisheries are the most complex component of our food systems,” says Mike McDermid, director of fisheries and seafood at Ocean Wise, a Vancouver-based non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation. He explains that fish can change hands an average of five or six times before they reach customers, compared to two or three for land-based food products like meat or dairy. And because most of us are so far removed from our food systems, we don’t know exactly what’s happening in the open ocean or how our choices are impacting the environment.

Today, with rising global protein demands and diminishing fish stocks, the seafood industry is barreling toward an uncertain future. According to the UN food and agriculture organization (FAO), an estimated 70 percent of the world’s fish population is “fully used, overused, or in crisis,” with industrial-scale fishing to blame for habitat damage, pollution, and transfer of diseases from farmed to wild fish. 

But there’s hope for changing the status quo, and the power to do so could rest largely with customers. “The good news is that consumers have a real say in how fisheries are conducted—what we demand is what will be caught,” says McDermid.

Thankfully, the pressure to understand what sustainability looks like at all levels of the supply chain doesn’t have to fall on consumers.

One company that aims to make shopping decisions easier for seafood lovers is Sitka Salmon Shares, a direct-to-consumer brand founded by a college professor and a second-generation Alaskan fisherman offering high-quality, responsibly caught and harvested fish that’s fully traceable to the source. The brand works closely with small-boat fishermen, as well as community-based processors like Kodiak Island WildSource and Haines Packing Company, to deliver delicious wild Alaskan seafood straight to subscribers’ doors.

The monthly subscription features a rotating selection of premium, sashimi-quality seafood that’s frozen at the peak of freshness, 100 percent traceable to the source, and may include King salmon, Dungeness crab, and cod, as well as lesser-known species like lingcod and Kodiak jig-caught rockfish.

Instead of dragging a weighted net or dredges across the bottom of the ocean floor, as many industrial-scale fisheries do, Sitka Salmon Shares sources from partners who use small boats (with a maximum size of 60 feet) to practice methods like hook-and-line, pot, and gillnet fishing. All of Sitka Salmon Shares’ high-quality seafood comes from wild-caught U.S. fisheries, with the vast majority sourced from pristine, glacier-fed Alaskan waters, considered a highly productive biological community. The marine environment has substantial amounts of organic matter like phytoplankton and zooplankton, which support animals in the food chain like crabs, seabirds, and marine mammals and help ensure a flourishing and diverse ecosystem.

But as McDermid points out, fishing from productive waters only offers one layer of consumer confidence. “What makes a region better poised for sustainable fishing tends to be more based on historic fishing pressure, effective management, and environmental regulations.” In Alaska, fish stocks are carefully managed to prevent overfishing and bycatch (unintentionally caught species). 

Sitka Salmon Shares also handles and processes its seafood in a way that reduces its carbon footprint while ensuring the freshest product possible. After the fish has been caught, it is bled (which dramatically extends its shelf life), chilled, butchered, and blast frozen to seal in the flavor.  

In addition to its sustainable sourcing and emphasis on community uplift, Sitka Salmon Shares also donates one percent of its revenues to 1% For the Wild, a fund dedicated to supporting healthy oceans and coastal fishing communities in alliance with charitable organizations like the Alaska Food Bank.

While the seafood industry has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, new brands like Sitka Salmon Shares are providing a new model for traceability, accountability, and responsibility—while inspiring customers to demand better from their seafood, one delicious meal at a time.

The post How One Seafood Company Is Committing to Conservation appeared first on Saveur.

Sponsored by

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could downright spoil your favorite passionate home cook this holiday season, without stressing about the cost? Delight them with a stand mixer they’ve been coveting for ages? Surprise them with an inimitable Vitamix blender? Blow them away with a new, top-of-the-line grill? Well, if you were ever going to go big with a holiday gift, this would be the year to do it. (Something tells us this holiday season is going to be more festive than ever!) And fortunately, it’s now possible to lavish your loved ones and do so paying over time—just by choosing Affirm at checkout.  

Affirm is a leading buy-now, pay-over-time solution that never charges late fees. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll pay up front, and you’ll get a clear, convenient payment schedule that works for you (See footer for details). All of this means you can pick out a magical gift that’s sure to wow a loved one and fit your holiday budget. Learn more about how Affirm works, and then get shopping. This list, featuring 12 of the hottest gifts of the year, is a great place to start. 

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Limited Edition Stand Mixer with Ceramic Bowl

($549.99); With Affirm, as low as $50/month at KitchenAid

A KitchenAid stand mixer is the symbol of peak domesticity. It often sits at the top of wish lists for years and years, but you can help someone cross it off said list. The 5-quart Artisan is the best model for most home cooks and, while it comes in more than a dozen colors, this new limited edition option is sure to work in any kitchen. It features a sand-colored, matte body and comes with a studded, three-dimensional black bowl. It’s Sleek with a capital S.

KitchenAid Metal Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Automatic Milk Frother Attachment Bundle

($549.99); With Affirm, as low as $50/month at KitchenAid

The nice folks at KitchenAid sure were busy this year: They also added a bunch of coffee gear to their lineup. This new machine features dual temperature sensors, heats up water in less than 45 seconds, and has 15 bars of pressure—so it can reliably pull shots (with a rich, thick crema) on repeat. Plus, the programmable milk frother allows your loved one to make lattes and cappuccinos, too.

Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

($249.95); With Affirm, as low as $24/month at Walmart

This powerful workhorse from Cuisinart consistently takes top honors any time food editors  test food processors. As its name suggests, it can handle up to 14 cups of food, effortlessly breaking down onions, celery, carrots, and more. It has a 720-watt motor, durable stainless steel blade, a sizable feeding tube, and a ridiculously straight-forward two-button control panel.

Ninja 5.5-Quart Air Fryer Max XL

($163); With Affirm, as low as $15/month at Walmart

Shopping for someone who has been on the fence about whether or not to get an air fryer? Help them off the fence… and onto the side with better mozzarella sticks and perfectly crispy Brussels sprouts. This 5.5-Quart Ninja can fit up to three pounds of French fries or chicken wings, heats up to 450 degrees, includes a broil rack, and cooks food even faster than other air fryers on the market.

Breville Smart Oven Pro Toaster Oven with Element IQ

($280); With Affirm, as low as $26/month at Walmart

Giving someone a full-blown oven is probably not in the cards, but this countertop convection option is certainly reasonable—and it’s just as functional. It’s perfect for baking up pizzas and cookies and can even roast a whole chicken. It features 10 cooking functions (toast, bake, roast, broil, reheat, and more) and has a smart heating element that results in even cooking every single time.

iRobot Roomba j7 Robot Vacuum

($499.99); With Affirm, as low as $42/month at iRobot

Any home cook worth their salt (or pepper!) knows that shutting the kitchen down each night is an integral part of cooking. Give them this Wi-Fi-connected vac to handle the floors while they do something else (like watch that new baking show).

Traeger Timberline 850

($1999.99); With Affirm, as low as $125/month at Traeger

If your favorite grill master has been working with sub-par equipment, it’s time to help them upgrade. Enter: the Traeger Timberline 850. It has a digital display that makes setting the grill temperature as easy as turning on an oven. It also has 869 square inches of cooking space, a sensor that lets grillers monitor their pellet levels from anywhere using an app, Super Smoke Mode, and more.

Traeger Ranger

($429.99); With Affirm, as low as $39 per month at Traeger

Want to give something a little more … portable? The Ranger can be used on the bed of a truck, set up at a campsite, or brought along to an Airbnb with questionable accommodations. It looks tiny, but boasts 184 square inches of cookspace, which means it can fit up to six burgers at once. It also allows for precise temperature control and features a super cool Keep Warm Mode.

Staub Enameled Cast Iron 5.5-Quart Dutch Oven

($370); With Affirm, as low as $34/month at Williams Sonoma

There are two big names when it comes to enameled cast iron: Le Creuset and Staub. You can’t go wrong with either of them when you’re picking out a special gift. For more advanced cooks, we nominate Staub. The interior is matte black, which is less likely to stain than a lighter interior and browns meat nicely. The lid has little spikes that collect and funnel evaporated juices back down to the food for moist, tender results. Go for the 5.5-quart size, as that will be large enough to accommodate most recipes.

Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Blender

($599.95); With Affirm, as low as $55/month at Williams Sonoma 

Ask any pro chef to name the best blender money can buy and nearly all of them will nominate Vitamix. Which Vitamix to get from the fairly large line of offerings? Saveur editors have named the A3500 Ascent Series Blender the one with the “best bells and whistles.” It has a top-notch motor, which you’d expect from Vitamix, and preset functions for smoothies, hot soup, nut butter, and more. The base is also compatible with Vitamix’s semi-new Food Processor Attachment, if you’re looking to make this great gift even better.

Aarke Premium Carbonator

($259.95); With Affirm, as low as $23/month at Williams Sonoma 

Introducing: the prettiest seltzer maker you’ve ever laid eyes on. Available in six different finishes (the copper is especially striking), this Carbonator turns tap water into sparkling water in seconds—without any electricity whatsoever. Get this for anyone who’s already obsessed with La Croix.

Bissell CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vac

($464.99); With Affirm, as low as $42/month at Bissell

While this Wet Dry Vac was technically designed to clean up pet hair, it’s also great for chipping away at dried-on splatters and picking up crumbs. It even has LED headlights to help light the way after dinner. Two-Tank Technology keeps the clean and dirty water separate. And because it’s so compact, it’s easy to pull out as needed. It’s the perfect gift for any home cook who hates mopping.

Rates from 0-30% APR. For example, a $800 purchase could be split into 12 monthly payments of $73 at 15% APR, or 4 interest-free payments of $200 every 2 weeks. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check, may not be available in all states, and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. Pricing and terms are subject to change at any time. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license.

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Nothing halts a cooking spree to a crawl like the realization that you need to peel and mince four cloves of garlic. The skins that adhere to your fingertips, the way even a single clove’s sugar residue turns your cutting board into a surface as sticky as a movie theater floor.

Prep work for a feast shouldn’t mean sweating the small stuff. Instead, let your freezer do the heavy lifting. By stocking up on individual portions of minced garlic, grated ginger, or chopped fresh herbs, you can make sure you always have the flavors you love on hand. When done right, freezing ingredients can actually make them more flavorful during cooking; ice crystals puncture plant cell walls as they form, and upon thawing, release even more of the volatile flavor compounds than you’d get with just mincing alone. 

The fresh frozen garlic and herbs from Dorot Gardens are flash-frozen right on the farm within 90 minutes of harvest, which means you can keep delicate seasonings like dill or parsley for weeks or months, locked in their most vivid moment of flavor. Each individually portioned cube equates to a teaspoon of minced fresh garlic or herbs. It’s rare for convenience and flavor to go hand in hand in the kitchen, so when it happens, it’s good to take advantage. Here are a few ways to make the most of your own freezer’s bounty.

Skip the Onion Soup Mix

Nothing tastes quite like nostalgia, which for many of us means brisket, meatloaf, or pot roast soused in a gravy made primarily from packaged dried onion soup mix. Nothing wrong with that, but in a big, meaty braise, it’s nice when seasonings like onion and garlic complement a piece of meat rather than completely overwhelming it. Dorot Gardens’ fresh frozen garlic and frozen sauteed onions are a perfect match for red meat. Saute a few cubes in olive oil until they’re fragrant, then stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste and cook that for another minute, then whisk in chicken or beef broth for a braising liquid and gravy base that will turn your brisket or meatloaf into the star of a meal. You can even add some green to the plate by stirring a cube of Dorot Gardens’ frozen parsley straight into the pan while the meat is resting.

Power Up A Pilaf

In homes across South Asia, many dishes begin with paste of fresh ginger and garlic that’s then enhanced with spices. This powerful paste adds savory depth to rice dishes, curries, and lentils of all kinds, and if you have Dorot Gardens’ frozen ginger and garlic on hand, you’re ready to follow suit. Heat a few tablespoons of oil or ghee in a large pan and add cubes of ginger and garlic over medium heat, along with a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf. When the pan smells irresistibly fragrant, add a cup of rinsed long-grain rice like basmati, and stir so every single grain becomes coated in the flavorful oil. Toast the rice like this until the grains develop a nutty aroma, then add your cooking liquid for a full-flavored pilaf that doesn’t even require a knife or cutting board. While this method works best for dishes that start with sauteing in oil, you can even keep it in mind for slow-cooker classics like cholent. Grains are sponges for flavor, and nothing works quite like ginger-garlic paste.

A Snappier Salad Dressing

Bottled salad dressings can’t hold a candle to ones you make yourself with fresh ingredients. This one comes together quickly and keeps for weeks: In a clean screw-top jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of black pepper with one cube each of Dorot Gardens’ frozen turmeric and frozen chopped cilantro or parsley. Let everything commingle for a few minutes while the cubes defrost, then carefully screw on the lid and shake like a bartender for 30 seconds. (This is a great opportunity to get kids excited about a meal while pawning some manual labor onto them.) After shaking, you’ll have a versatile and emulsified salad dressing for any greens, now enhanced with turmeric’s earthy flavor and flecks of green herbs. What’s more, the black pepper in the dressing will enhance the bioavailability of the anti-inflammatory curcumin in turmeric, making this a salad that works harder for you than you worked for it.

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The word tahini derives from an ancient Arabic verb, “to grind,” a fitting origin for an ingredient as mighty as this pure sesame paste. Made by soaking, toasting, and grinding sesame seeds, tahini unlocks the incredible power hidden in these tiny kernels. In the ancient Levant, only the olive matched the sesame seed’s potential for nutrition, flavor, and a potent burst of energy. So if you’ve been leaving tahini to lurk in the background of your hummus and coast in your kitchen, it’s time to give this essential ingredient another look. Here are a few ways to make the most of your tahini.

A Versatile Salad Dressing

Tahini’s nutty flavor sings when you add acid and spice. In a mortar, crush two cloves of raw garlic with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cumin seeds. The salt and cumin act as abrasives, so after a minute of mashing you’ll have an aromatic paste that doubles as vampire repellent. Then, in the same mortar, add a couple spoonfuls of tahini and a squeeze of lemon juice along with a tablespoon of water to loosen everything up. Stir the mixture together and add more lemon and salt to taste, and you’ve just made a traditional Middle Eastern condiment that’s as happy dressing a salad as it is enriching a pot of beans. 

Use this dressing on a summer salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, or a winter version with radish, pears, and thinly sliced red cabbage. The tahini brings a nice creamy body while the garlic and cumin keep things punchy; it’s even good tossed with mixed greens. But you’ll also want to keep this condiment around for your soup pot; that tahini heft makes it a winner in a simple pot of beans or a bowl of pasta e fagioli. You can even mix the condiment with your favorite chile oil to dress an easy take on sesame noodles.

Salty Meets Sweet

Another way to unlock tahini’s potential is to pair it with something sweet. Date syrup, also called silan, is a traditional classic: a dark, almost caramelly molasses that’s great with a smear of tahini together on a toasted pita. When the two are drizzled over savory dishes, they function almost like balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, with a dazzling burst of flavor that highlights the sweet and umami elements of a recipe. 

Falafel loves this treatment. So does roasted lamb, chicken, or cauliflower. But the real winner here is cubes of roasted sweet potato, which pair perfectly with nutty tahini and fruity date syrup.  Sprinkle on some chopped pistachios for crunch and you have a dish worth adding to your Thanksgiving table.

Spicy Magic Marinade

Tahini readily forms the base of a marinade for meat or vegetables. On the grill or in the oven, the paste develops a satisfying crust that locks in herbs and spices while forming tasty nuggets of extra-browned crackling for the cook to enjoy. Mighty Sesame Co.’s harissa tahini is the perfect thing for such a marinade, as it adds the sunny heat of North African pepper paste right from the start; the brand’s convenient packaging makes this versatile ingredient even easier to use—just shake, squeeze, and serve. Start with a quarter cup of harissa tahini and a heavy pinch of salt, then add glugs of lemon juice and olive oil that you measure with your heart, along with your favorite herbs (parsley and cilantro are good starts) and crushed black pepper, cumin, and coriander. Try it with chicken thighs or a nice lamb shoulder, or cubes of liver for skewered kebabs. Chewy, grillable halloumi cheese is also nice. And don’t forget carrots! Two of the key spices in harissa—coriander and caraway—belong to the same botanical family as the orange taproots, and they complement each other nicely.

The post Three Easy Ways to Make Tahini the Star of Your Pantry appeared first on Saveur.

Olive trees dig their roots deep into the rich soil in the foothills of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains as teams of harvesters pluck the fruit—just as people here have done for centuries. The mild winters, dry summers, and hot Sahara breeze blow over the coarse sand and rich clay, nurturing exceptionally flavorful olives and producing the high-quality oil used locally to dress mezze like fava beans and fluffy, wood-fired flatbreads.

While Italy, Spain, and Greece have long dominated the international conversation about top-notch olive oil, those countries often relied on Moroccan olives to bolster their own harvests. As the fourth-largest producer of olive oil globally, Morocco has supplied oil to the world with, until recently, little recognition of the quantity and quality of the country’s bounty. 

But in the last decade, the North African nation has more than doubled its percentage of oil exported in bottles rather than sold wholesale, introducing its premium oils to tables around the world. Morocco Gold embodies the very best of Morocco’s extra-virgin olive oil. 

Launched in 2018, Morocco Gold combines centuries of local cultivation and harvesting knowledge with rigorous traceability and quality assurance to bring what many Moroccans consider a “noble food” to health- and flavor-conscious food lovers everywhere. 

Sharing the Flavor of the Foothills

A half-day’s drive northeast of Marrakech, nestled in the early ridges of the Atlas Range, a unique, unspoiled valley in the Beni-Mellal region presents ideal conditions for growing the prized Picholine Marocaine cultivar. Cousin to the more widely known Picholine Languedoc from France, this local variety thrives in the region’s arid climate, dominates the Moroccan olive oil world, and is renowned for its high polyphenol count, oxidative stability, and longevity. 

Morocco Gold’s extra-virgin olive oil is produced using only this cultivar, which imparts a distinctive green fruitiness, hints of sweet almonds, fresh turf, fresh herbs, and a “peppery” finish. It’s this exceptionally well-balanced flavor profile that won the brand a gold medal for taste in the 2018 FoodTalk Awards.

Olive oil is a central ingredient in Moroccan cuisine, and throughout the Mediterranean region, so it’s no surprise that Morocco Gold’s award-winning flavor works perfectly in local specialties like zaalouk salad, lamb tagine, and hummus, all of which offer a taste of this special oil’s culinary roots. 

But it’s not just savory food in which this product shines. SAVEUR’s Editorial Director Kat Craddock likes Morocco Gold’s buttery texture and flavor, which she describes as “peppery, with a hint of grassy bitterness,” and “lovely in both sweet and savory applications.” She recommends using it to roast any of the fall’s finest seasonal ingredients, from winter squash and pumpkins to cabbage and cauliflower to root vegetables. Craddock also finds Morocco Gold to be a natural fit for the pastry kitchen, where it can be used to enhance aromatic pastries like thyme cake with figs and black pepper and even classic sweets like chocolate chip cookies and fudgy brownies.

Picholines and Polyphenols: Great Taste and Reported Health Benefits

For thousands of years, olive oil has basked in its reputation for bestowing strength, youth, and beauty. This reputation was initially based partly on the tremendous resilience and longevity of olive trees themselves: Through the harshest summers and winters, this hardy plant continues to grow strong and bear fruit.

More recently, nutrition experts have increasingly celebrated extra-virgin olive oil for its unique combination of flavor and health benefits. Many of these reported benefits—from improvements in heart health to reduction in diabetes risk—are linked to naturally occurring antioxidant compounds called polyphenols (which are also, incidentally, the source of that distinctive, peppery flavor). Oil produced from the Picholine Marocaine in particular—like Morocco Gold—is especially high in polyphenol levels. Furthermore, the Picholines used by Morocco Gold get an added boost from their unique terroir: The brand’s partner farms are located in the Moroccan countryside, in a valley situated 2,000 feet above sea level. This region’s soil and climate factor into producing a crop of olives exceptionally high in polyphenols, even by Picholine Marocaine standards. 

A co-op of women harvesters pick the olives young and green, when the fruit produces less oil, but one more concentrated in flavor and polyphenols. They use flexible combs to gently remove the fruit into the nets below, never letting the olives come in contact with the ground, which helps keep the quality high. 

From branch to bottle, Morocco Gold takes no shortcuts with provenance or quality control, even printing the analysis of the annual olive harvest on each bottle. Within 24 hours of picking, the olives are inspected, washed, drained, and stripped of leaves, twigs, and debris. During the cold-pressing stage, a metal hammer mill pulverizes the olives; the oil is then separated through the use of a centrifuge, quickly extracting the oil while at its best: As with any agricultural product, the best extraction comes from the freshest ingredients. 

Before the oil even leaves Morocco, it is tested and closely inspected—first by the Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires (ONSSA), then tested again in the U.K. to International Olive Council standards. Throughout this process and straight to the table, Morocco Gold maintains full traceability to guarantee provenance, authenticity, and extra-virgin quality.

Centering Moroccan Olive Oil Expertise and Empowerment

It is believed that olive trees arrived in Morocco with the Phoenicians around the year 1000 BCE, so beginning millennia of tradition woven into the country’s culture and cuisine. Traditional presses called maasras and centuries-old olive trees indicate just how far back the Sanhaja Berbers in the Beni-Mellal have depended on this crop, a long history which has resulted in a community rich in knowledge and expertise. In recent years, olive cultivation in the area has grown considerably, protecting the soil against erosion and playing a key role in providing employment, particularly for women.

Morocco’s agricultural sector employs approximately 40 percent of the nation’s workforce, nearly half of whom are women. Participating in local farming empowers Moroccan women, giving them influence over their household income and expenditures. These jobs reduce poverty at least twice as effectively as other initiatives by both raising household incomes and lowering food costs.

Morocco Gold goes a step further by working with harvesters from the Taytmatine Cooperative, an organization that works to provide local women with business and educational opportunities. The group, which also grows almonds and walnuts, extracts and sells oils locally and regionally. With the revenue earned from these endeavors, many members are able to pay for their children’s education, and to help fund community infrastructure in remote villages, slowing rural depopulation into cities like Fez and Marrakech.

At the end of a busy harvesting day, these growers return home to sip mint tea with their families. They share khobz, a typical round loaf cooked in a wood oven, paired with garlic-scented green and black olives. The ingredients these women use to make traditional dishes like bessara—fava bean soup with olive oil, cumin and paprika—come from nearby, sometimes even their own gardens. Using Morocco Gold olive oil to dress your own salads and mezze, to roast fall vegetables, and to bake your holiday sweets, allows you to tap into that rich and healthful culinary heritage, even from half a world away. 

Find out more at www.Morocco-Gold.com.

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